Trending Now – Less Sugar and More Plant Protein

Honeynut Squash with Black Lentils, Black Rice, Hazelnuts and Pomegranate Food and diet resolutions reign in January. Slashing added sugars and boosting plant protein are trending now. I address both in this recipe. If you like winter squash you’ll love honeynut squash. They look like baby butternut squash but are sweeter and roasting concentrates that […]

World Peace Cookies

One of the sweetest cookie stories ever surrounds Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies, a recipe I’d saved for several years and finally tried.  According to Greenspan (1) “The World Peace Cookie lives up to its name: if everyone had it, peace would reign over the planet.”  The recipe is not new. It’s a chocolate shortbread […]

Vietnamese-Style Turmeric Tofu

Soy Food Myths One of the hottest food trends is “plant-based” eating (1).  A whopping 70% of Americans view plant proteins as more healthful than animal proteins (2).  To be clear, plant-based does not necessarily mean eating strictly plants, being vegan or vegetarian. Some plant-based eaters include seafood, meat and/or dairy in their diets.     […]

Salmon Shiitake Burgers

Salmon Shiitake Burgers with Sesame Sriracha Mayo Have you tried a blended burger? “The Blend” is technique promoted by the Mushroom Council to combine chopped mushrooms with ground meat to “make meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” (1) People are positive about the combo (2) because it combines the best of plant and meat worlds; […]

For a Sweet September…

Apple Spice Doughnuts I’m never ready for the end of summer. I love all it offers – sun-ripened berries, peaches and tomatoes, long days, water play, grilling and dining outdoors. I could whine, but I headed to the kitchen instead. Summer always transitions to fall, and to ease the way, I cooked up a recipe […]

How Many Plants Do You Eat in a Week?

Broccoli Ceviche with Avocado & Sweet Onion “I’m sick of kale!” Those were my daughter Allegra’s words. I wondered when she’d need a break from the kale she was eating – sometimes twice daily.    It’s easy to fall into routines of eating the same foods – because we like them, it’s easy, or we’ve […]

Booze or No Booze?

Mojito I put a bottle of champagne on ice to toast the engagement of young friends joining us for dinner a few weeks ago. When I learned that they don’t drink alcohol, I quickly switched gears to this virgin version of my favorite summer refresher, the Mojito. These two aren’t the only ones not drinking. […]

Get the Most from Probiotic-Rich Foods

Skyr-Swirled Beet Dip Fermented foods are hot – consumption increased 149% in 2018, led by more novel products like kombucha and kimchi (3). For the past 2 years, dietitian-nutritionists ranked fermented foods #1 on the list of popular foods in the 7th annual report, “What’s Trending in Nutrition” (1,2). Growth in the world of fermented […]

It’s Time to Grill Garlic Scapes

Ricotta Gnocchi with Garlic Scapes, Mushrooms and Fennel In season now, fresh garlic scapes caught my eye at Metropolitan Market and I grabbed a bunch. I followed the cooking tip posted in-store, brushed them with olive oil and tossed them on the grill to accompany chicken kebabs. Easy and quick – scapes brighten, soften and […]

Dad Wants Dessert

Triple Almond Raspberry-Rhubarb Crumble End your Dad’s Day celebration on a sweet note with an old-fashioned “crumble.” A crumble isn’t fancy, it’s good. The secret is to serve it in fancy dishes. Surely you’ve buried some heirloom dishes in a dusty cabinet that are begging for a place at the table. I used my Nana […]